I once had my first-ever ''high end'' unit, the diminutive original Naim Nait, a whopping 18 watts per channel, but sounded subjectively like an 60 watter. Turned it on in 1984, turned it off when I sold it ten years later in 1994 ! We are are almost 2008, and the guy I sold the unit to, a friend of mine, still has it turned-on to this day! We are talking 24 years here with only a 1-hour interruption !
Quality gear can usually take it, and some manufacturers, like Naim - actually recommends leaving amps ON at all times, including sources.
When I think of all the expensive gear I have owned since, including mega-dollar tube amps, and factor in the hours wasted chasing for the Holy Grail of sound, I sometimes miss that little red light in my living room, confirming that my tiny amp was on constant warmed-up-and-ready mode.
Cheers
